The Union government has approved higher minimum support prices (MSPs) for all six rabi crops for the 2027–28 marketing season, with the largest increases going to oilseeds and pulses. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the revised rates as part of an effort to encourage farmers to diversify cultivation.

Safflower received the biggest absolute increase among the six crops, with its MSP rising by ₹675 per quintal. The MSP for rapeseed and mustard was increased by ₹413 per quintal, while the rate for lentils rose by ₹390 per quintal.

The MSP for wheat, one of the main rabi crops, was raised by ₹25 per quintal. Its rate will increase from ₹2,585 to ₹2,610 per quintal for the 2027–28 marketing season.

Focus on pulses and oilseeds

The government said the revisions are intended to encourage crop diversification towards pulses and oilseeds. The decision places the largest increases on safflower, rapeseed and mustard, and lentils, according to the details released on the approved MSP package.

The move comes as the Centre seeks to use support prices to promote cultivation of crops beyond wheat. While the government’s stated objective is to encourage a shift towards pulses and oilseeds, the available details do not specify the revised rates for the other crops covered by the decision.

MSPs are approved by the government for agricultural crops before the relevant marketing season. The revised rates announced for 2027–28 cover all six rabi crops included in the Cabinet decision, although the evidence available for this report provides specific increases for safflower, rapeseed and mustard, lentils and wheat.

₹90,962 crore approved for procurement

Alongside the revised MSPs, the Centre approved ₹90,962 crore for procurement. The allocation is part of the government’s implementation of the support-price decision for the 2027–28 season.

The procurement approval is significant in the context of the government’s stated diversification objective because the package combines higher support prices with funding for the purchase of crops. However, the supplied information does not specify how the approved amount will be distributed among the six rabi crops or identify individual procurement agencies.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs’ decision therefore raises the guaranteed support prices across the full group of rabi crops while giving the largest absolute increases to selected oilseeds and pulses. Wheat’s increase is comparatively smaller in absolute terms, at ₹25 per quintal, taking its MSP to ₹2,610.

The revised rates will apply to the 2027–28 marketing season. Further details on the individual MSPs for the remaining crops and the procurement process were not included in the information available for this report.